The Jedi Fellowship
by Lady Celebare
Summary: *ON HAITUS* When five very different Jedi Knights and two rebellious Padawans are thrown into a dangerous mission, the fate of galaxies is suddenly placed on their shoulders. Great author-insert fic!!
1. Fate has Brought Them

Title: The Jedi Fellowship  
  
Summary: When five very different Jedi Knights and two rebellious Padawans are thrown into a dangerous mission, the fate of galaxies is suddenly placed on their shoulders. Can these young Force-sensitives change the course of history, and furthermore, do they really want to?  
  
Rated: PG-13 for language and violence  
  
Author's Notes: Well, here it is… my innovative Star Wars fic :D Hopefully this thing will be many chapters long and will contain action, adventure, humor, and lots of Star Wars stuff. This fanfiction is actually the work of several writers: Narchannen Fae, obsessive, JadedJenn, Saturn Riddle (now Aleena Tarlana), biblehermione, MordorianNazgul, and (perhaps) SailorElysion. They each contributed a character to this fanfiction, and therefor are integral parts of this work. Give them a hand!  
  
And so, without any further ado, here's chapter 1.  
  
  
  
Blade was in a very bad place, and she knew it.  
  
The young, rather headstrong apprentice had left her master – again – without notice and without reason. There had been an all-out manhunt for her, but she couldn't quite see the reason; surely a 17-year-old apprentice wasn't worth enough to send people out to look for her. They should keep to their own business and let Blade's master do the looking.  
  
But no, of course they had to send every Jedi in the temple to look for her, which was why Blade was currently hiding in the ventilation shaft, using every mind trick she knew to conceal her presence. It was a bit difficult to breath in the cramped space, but Blade was used to odd hiding places: she had once stowed herself in the torpedo bay of a starfighter, right next to the explosives. Didn't that prove she was responsible enough?  
  
Blade quieted her thoughts as another pair of searching Jedi rounded the corner. "I don't see why we're putting so much effort into finding her," said one, a rather tall young woman with long, black hair tied back in a ponytail. "She'll come out when she's ready to."  
  
"You should know the dangers of a rogue apprentice, Hotaru," said the other, an imposing male in a flowing black robe. "If that child is not controlled-"  
  
"She's just a child, Malarow," Hotaru interrupted. "What harm can she do? I've heard she has a good heart."  
  
Malarow muttered something, but Blade couldn't hear it, as the pair had moved further along the corridor. The male Jedi's remark had angered her, though; what did he mean, 'rogue apprentice'? She wasn't a rogue anything! But, if her constant hiding and sneaking around were causing the other Jedi to think badly of her… did she really want a stigma around her when she finally did become a knight?  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this," she muttered, popping the grate off of the ventilation shaft. After making sure that she was alone in the hallway, she dropped to the floor, and replaced the metal grate. "I suppose I should present myself, before the Council labels me a threat and takes away my training," she muttered, dusting herself off. As much as she tried, though, it would take more than a few brushings to remove the dust and grime from her light brown apprentice robes.  
  
"So there you are, miss Celebare," said a strong male voice from behind her. Startled, she wheeled around to face the speaker, and with a groan of dismay saw Mace Windu. The Council elder had his arms crossed over his broad chest, and his face wore a disapproving scowl. "You certainly put the temple into an uproar. What do you have to say for yourself?"  
  
"Sorry," she mumbled, bowing her head.  
  
"As sorry as you may be, you still must face the consequences of your actions. Come, the Council is waiting," Mace said sternly, motioning that she should walk in front of him. She did so, resigned to her fate; they would surely strip her of her lightsaber this time. In the rebellious corners of her mind she knew she would fight fiercely to protect that weapon; after all, didn't they tell her it was her gift? Hadn't she built it at the age of four?  
  
And so once again, Blade Celebare walked the long hallway to the Council meeting room, thoroughly dreading her fate.  
  
  
  
Even though the city-world of Coruscant was full to bursting with energy and excitement, there were many in the Jedi Temple who didn't appreciate the fakeness of it all. Fae was one of these. She had been summoned to the temple, along with a few other younger knights, to take part in some 'secret' mission. "Why couldn't they leave me where I was," she muttered sullenly. The 18-year-old female Jedi was sitting cross- legged on a hovering chair, a datapad in one hand. Her long, dark hair, woven into multiple braids, was like a thundercloud to illustrate her ire.  
  
"You should lighten up," said another young Jedi, a 20-year-old with brown-purple hair woven into intricate braids. She wore dark-purple lipstick, a blue braided choker, and a blue-purple Jedi tunic. Her black robe lay neatly folded over a second hovering chair.  
  
"You would be uptight, too, if you were used to real trees rather than synthetic ones," Fae retorted.  
  
"Enough," murmured a third Jedi, also a 20-year-old woman. She was also seated in a floating chair, meditating, her eyes half-closed serenely. Her curly black hair framed a pale face, but even though she looked and spoke like a gentle, harmless person, she was quite muscular. Her voice had a musical quality, and even Fae seemed to calm at the sound. "We will most likely need to work together on this assignment. Bad feelings would only interfere with our work."  
  
Fae was about to reply again when a short, green figure walked through the doorway. Immediately the three Jedi turned to face him and bowed deeply – a normal reaction when faced with Master Yoda. "Greetings," he said in his distinctive raspy voice. "Glad I am to see that you take your duties seriously, even in the face of discomfort." He glanced briefly at Fae, who bowed her head again, acknowledging the two-sided compliment.  
  
"Greetings, Master," said the pale-faced Jedi. "We are ready to receive our assignment."  
  
"Of this I am certain, Jennria Jadarian. Ready, you may be, but perhaps the Council is not, hmm?"  
  
"Ah, yes," Jennaria said quickly. "I only meant that we are ready to take on anything that is asked of us."  
  
"So sure are you?" Yoda asked, scanning the three faces. "Pledged you are, even before you understand." The three Jedi women looked slightly nonplused; Yoda's statements were often cryptic.  
  
"Master Yoda!" exclaimed a fourth Jedi, this one much younger than the other three. She didn't look any older than 15, but already she wore a lightsaber at her side; however, she still bore the braid of a Padawan, and her robes were the light brown color of an apprentice's. "She skidded into the room, nearly hitting the 2-foot Jedi Master, but stopping herself just in time.  
  
"Obsessive," he acknowledged with a touch of humor. "Glad I am, that you could join us."  
  
"Master Yoda, so sorry, I was cleaning out my room you see – I didn't want to leave a mess behind," she stuttered, bowing low.  
  
"A good excuse, that is," Yoda conceded. "The others are waiting; come, come!" Yoda walked off down the corridor, followed by the three Knights and one apprentice.  
  
Endnotes: Well, that went well, I think… what do you think? Feedback from the authors involved would be great ( the more you guys tell me, the more you have to do with this fanfiction. If any other reviewers want a piece of the action, please e-mail me a description at bluehippogriff@hotmail.com. Keep in mind that I can only use so many of you… I need more non-Jedi, and some male characters. You must have written a Star Wars fanfiction in order to be approved.  
  
Chapter 2 might take a little longer to write, but it will be written, never fear! 


	2. The Jedi Council

Now it was Maralow's turn to have a bad feeling about the situation. He and Hotaru stood before the Jedi Council, heads bowed respectfully. They had been waiting there for several minutes, and were getting slightly edgy. What had they done, that they were called so urgently to Coruscant? Had the Council heard about Maralow's most recent indiscretions, and Hotaru was here to punish him? No, that notion was absurd; why would the Council get a 23-year-old Knight to punish him? It was more likely that she, too, had done something to earn a public shaming. Ah, what was another mark on his record anyway? He was respected, in his own way, and he didn't need the praise of these stiffs to get by.  
  
Maralow's thoughts were interrupted as a trio of Knights and a Padawan entered the Council chamber, led by Master Yoda. They took their places before the elders, also bowing their heads respectfully, all with the same puzzled expressions in their eyes. It wasn't possible that all three of them were here to be punished – or was it?  
  
"Greetings, Jedi Knights," Yoda said as he seated himself in his low, cushioned council seat. "Wondering, you are, why we have called you here." They all nodded slightly, still glancing about the room; all of them noticed that Mace Windu was absent from his seat.  
  
"You are to be sent on a very dangerous, very important mission. Each of you was destined from birth to play a part in this, and we have called you together to start the cycle," said another Council member, speaking for Mace.  
  
"What is this mission?" asked a Knight Maralow had never seen before; he eyed her varicolored robes and confidant stance and decided that she probably had a lot in common with him.  
  
"Know the full story, we do not," Yoda replied. "In time, know more will you than any of us, Aleena Tarlana."  
  
The knights and Padawan shifted uncomfortably in the palpable silence; what sort of a mission was this, which the council members didn't know about? The Padawan Obsessive voiced the concerns of the group in a simple question: "But how are we to know what to do when the Elders can't tell us?"  
  
"Tell you, we will, when the final member of your team joins us." Yoda settled more comfortably into his seat, his hands clasped in front of him and a searching look in his eyes. Each of the knights felt somewhat unnerved by this; Yoda was staring them down as if they were no more than children, apprentices to be molded and taught. In truth the two-foot Master was only trying to sense any fear or apprehension in order to ally the collective fears of the Knights.  
  
The silent examination was ended as Mace Windu strode into the council room, leading a tall, braided Padawan by the sleeve of her tunic. The Padawan looked both enormously relieved and absolutely terrified by the presence of the other six in the council room, and she took her place in line with a guarded expression on her face. Mace Windu sat in his council seat beside Yoda, still fixing the newcomer with a piercing stare. She shifted uncomfortably, like a ranat squirming under a hawkbat's hungry stare.  
  
"Welcome, Blade Celebare," Yoda said, greeting the apprentice. "Gathered now are we. Master Windu, the Holocube."  
  
Mace took a small silvery cube from one of the voluminous pockets of his robe and set it on the floor in front of him. The Holocube glinted in the setting sunlight, and everyone in the room felt the Force-sensitivity of the tiny object. It seemed to gather energy from everywhere, collecting it like a magnet collects metal. A few moments after it had been set on the floor the cube began to hum, and a small projector popped open from its top. A bright beam of light shot from the projector onto the floor, and a small three-dimensional figure appeared. It seemed to turn to each of the beings in the room, greeting them, and then focused its attention on the seven Jedi in the center of the room.  
  
"Master Ssanten," Jennaria acknowledged. The Knights had all seen projections of the ancient Trandoshan Master before, during lessons with Master Yoda. When he was alive Master Ssanten had dealt in matters of fate, and had been well known for his ability to predict the future. An angry Sith had ended his life.  
  
"Greetings, chosen ones," Ssanten's image said in a raspy hiss. "Today is a day that I have foreseen, when the Seven will be gathered and the time for action has come. Each of you has a role to play in the Coming of the One, and it is He who will bring balance to the Force. I have foreseen it all, and I will tell you what part you are to play." The image then shut off abruptly, and the cube folded back into shape. The seven looked towards Yoda, puzzled. They all had the same question in mind: Where was the rest of the message?  
  
"Heard this, we have," Yoda said, lifting the cube to him with the Force. "Now, take this cube you must, and hear your part."  
  
"This Holocube will only open again when one of you holds it. You must be alone, and what you are told must be shared with no one unless the message says otherwise. We were given this instruction," Mace Windu explained. "Each of you will hear what Master Ssanten has to say, and then pass the Holocube on to whomever you are told to. A transport will be ready for you tomorrow morning. Aleena Tarlana, you are the first." Without any further explanation, Mace stood and handed the small cube to Aleena. She cupped her hads around the warm object, a look of mixed trepidation and excitement on her face.  
  
"You will hear the message in private, in your room," Mace said, returning to his seat. "The rest of you, also wait in your rooms. Blade and Obsessive, your masters have been informed that you will no longer be traveling with them. You may go."  
  
The seven left in silence, Aleena first, Blade last. They each had burning questions, but Mace's tone of voice had warned them against asking anything. They could only hope that the message of the Holocube would give them the explanations they desired.  
  
Once the Jedi had filed out, Yoda let out a small sigh. "Prepared, are they? Know, we do not, what they will face. But sense their peril, I do."  
  
"Indeed, but we are not to know what awaits them," replied a long- necked Master. "For once, it is not our place to ask, but only to watch."  
  
"Changed, it has," Yoda remarked with a hint of irony. "The students are we, and they, the Masters."  
  
"Should we send for Qui-Gon and his apprentice now, or tomorrow?" Mace asked.  
  
"Leave it for tomorrow," Yoda replied wearily. "Let them rest. Sense much sorrow in their future, I do."  
  
  
  
Aleena Tarlana sat crosslegged on her bed, staring at the closed, still Holocube in front of her with a mixture of excitement and distrust. What she had been told to do… it seemed impossible, and she couldn't see the point of it. Yoda hadn't told them anything about not understanding the cube's instructions. How could she know whether she was doing good or evil if she didn't know to what end this 'fate' would lead?  
  
Aleena stood abruptly and stretched her arms, then looked over at the time-counter on her wall. Nearly three hours had passed since she entered her room, even though it had only seemed like a few moments. She briefly wondered whether or not the other six would have time to hear their messaged before dawn; the Coruscant night was long, though, and their messages weren't necessarily as long as hers. She carefully lifted the holocube from the bed and tucked it inside one of the pockets of her robe, then strode out of her room and into the dark corridor. She almost felt like a little girl again, sneaking out at night to visit her friends.  
  
When she reached Malarow's room she stopped and paused, recalling what the holocube had told her to tell him. She rapped her knuckles lightly on the durasteel door, then pulled the holocube from her pocket. Malarow opened the heavy door and peered out, and on seeing Aleena let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"I thought I might be last," me muttered. "I'm dying to see what this is all about."  
  
Aleena was about to respond when she felt an involuntary meditative sate fall over her. Her eyes rolled back slightly in her head, and just before she ceased to see things in the real world, she noted Malarow's rather disturbed expression.  
  
"Seek the silver-haired Master where she sleeps and take whatever gift she offers," Aleena said in a misty voice. "Hear my message with all haste, for you must seek the Hidden Sith before the sun rises."  
  
"Uh… all right," Malarow said cautiously. He took the holocube from Aleena's outstretched hands, then retreated swiftly into his room. Aleena seemed not to notice, and a few moments after the holocube had been taken from her, she fell to the floor in a faint.  
  
A/N: Ah, chapter 2… hopefully I corrected a few character mistakes and whatnot. MordorianNazgul, is your Jedi's name spelt "Malarow" or "Maralow"? I'd hate to have to keep switching back and forth throughout this whole fic. Anyway, what did you guys think? Loved it? Hated it? Don't care? Tell me! Chapter 3 will be up as soon as I can figure out a few minor plot things. 


	3. Aquel

            Malarow's instructions turned out to be very short, indeed.  It took him all of five minutes to hear it.  

"Great," he muttered irately.  "Aleena's message takes three hours, and mine's only five minutes.  Who the hell is the silver-haired master anyway??"  He seemed to realize after a moment that he was alone, and that he probably shouldn't be shouting so loud or someone might hear him through the walls and think he was crazy.

Now resigned to his fate (such that it was), Malarow hauled himself off of his cot and pocketed the silvery cube.  He had been instructed to take it to Obsessive, which wasn't a good thing because he had no idea which room was hers.  He slid open the durasteel door and stepped into the hallway, nearly tripping over Aleena's still form.  The young knight was sleeping soundly, curled up on the cold tiles.

"Oh, lovely.  That just spells crankiness," he muttered, prodding her with a foot.  "Aleena!  Wake up!"

"Mmm, not now Ben, I'm sleeping," she muttered, curling up more tightly.

"Ben?" Malarow stared at Aleena for a few more moments, thoroughly confused, before walking off down the hallway.  He supposed Obsessive would be in the student quarters like the rest of the Padawans and turned towards the lift that would take him there.  As it turned out, however, he wouldn't need to seek out Obsessive's room.  The younger human nearly smacked right into him as she rounded a corner.

"Oh, sorry Master Malarow," she said breathlessly, bowing.  "I should have sensed you there."

"Don't worry about it," Obsessive replied.  "Here, take this blasted Holocube and go find Blade.  You two have a message to hear together."

Obsessive took the small, silvery cube reverently and put it carefully in her pocket.  "Thank you, Malarow!  I'll go find Blade right away!"

"Good, you do that," Malarow replied.  "I'm off to get some sleep."

            The next morning the seven Chosen met in one of the Temple's council rooms.  It was just an hour before dawn, and none of the Seven had been too keen to wake up and gather, but Fae's instructions had included an order to have them all gather.

            "So here we all are, and we know what we must do," Hotaru said as she sipped a mug of hot, dark coffee.  "Does anyone have instructions that were to be given to the group?"

            "When dawn breaks I need to find a hidden Sith," Malarow grumbled.  "I already found this Silver-haired master that Aleena told me to find."

            "I did?" Aleena asked curiously.

            "Yes, but it must have been a trance.  When I tried to wake you up later, you just mumbled something about Ben.  Who the hell is Ben?"

            "Oh, no one important!" Aleena exclaimed, blushing.  Then, as if to steer the subject away from 'Ben', she asked, "Who is this Silver-haired master, then?"

            "A Jedi Knight known as Aquel Faemir.  She's offered to pilot us to our destinations, as long as we don't mind cramped spaces."

            "How would she know to offer us her transport?" Jennria asked.  "Isn't that a little weird?"

            "She said she dreamed that we would come and ask."  Malarow looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully for a moment, then turned a sharp glance towards the door.  "I know who the hidden sith is," he said quietly.  "No one is to take the transport prepared for us."

            "Well, one point for the Seven, zero for the Apocalypse," Hotaru said wryly.  "Were are we going first?"

            "I was told that I needed to remain on Naboo for the duration of this mission," Fae said.  

            "I was told to go to Tatooine," Malarow grimaced.  "What a hellhole that world is."

            "I must stay on Coruscant," Jennaria murmered.

            "Obsessive and I can come to Tatooine with you, Malarow," Blade added.  "We only need to get to Naboo within seven days from now."

            "I'll stick with Fae," Hotaru said.  "I wasn't told to be on any specific planet."

            "And I've got to be on Naboo at the same time Obsessive and Blade are, so I'll go with you as well, Malarow," said Aleena.

            "Well, it's settled then.  We'll get this Faemir person to pilot Fae and Hotaru to Naboo, and the rest of us will tag along and have her take us to Tatooine."  Malarow paused and looked around at the others.  "You're not getting angry with me for being so commanding, right?"

            "No, we think that's very sweet of you," Aleena cooed.  "You're taking command of this mission to protect all us girls."

            Malarow turned a strange shade of red as he realized that he was, indeed, the only male in the group.  He cleared his throat and nodded curtly at Aleena.  "Yes, well, maybe you should take command now.  I'm finished."

            Jennaria coughed politely, drawing the attention of the other six to herself.  "If I may make a suggestion, we should have a secure way of communicating.  If I am correct in my assumption, a lot more is going to happen subconsciously to us, and we need to be able to get a hold of each other quickly in case something else important comes up."

            "We have comlinks," Fae noted.  "Aren't those secure enough?"

            "I have a bad feeling that we'll be facing against some fairly sinister opponents.  We should code our comlinks and fix one secure channel for communication."

            Blade nodded in agreement.  "Let's use one of the obscure, high-number channels that no one ever uses.  Me 'n Yarro always used those to organize dorm escapes and never got caught…" The Padawan suddenly realized that she might have said a bit too much.  "We weren't doing anything dangerous, of course."

            "Of course," Hotaru muttered. 

            "Well, you did do damage to Master Windu's lunch," Obsessive piped up.  "You ate his gourmet Nerf steak."

            "Well, he never shares!" Blade protested.

            Just as Obsessive was about to reply, the council room doors opened and a pale, silver-haired master glided into the room.  She was followed closely by a young avian female clad in the robes of a Padawan.

            "Did someone call for a taxi?" Aquel Faemir, the master, asked with a smile.  "I'm afraid some of you will have to ride in the cargo bay.  The _Shield Dodger_ wasn't exactly designed as a bus."

            "How much do you charge?" Malarow asked.

            "You know, that question could be taken in the _totally_ wrong context," Blade giggled.

            "Oh, shut up!"

            Aquel suppressed the urge to engage in the endless teasing and answered Malarow's question without laughing.  "All I ask is that you don't open any of the cargo boxes, and that you don't look too hard at the modifications to my ship.  Some are, ah, a little less legal than the Council would like."

            "Excellent, an illegal transport," Aleena cackled.  "Erm, aren't you that master Be- uh, Obi-Wan keeps mentioning?"

            Aquel sized Aleena up and allowed a hint of a grin to creep onto her face.  "You must be Aleena Tarlana.  I've heard… quite a bit about you."

            "Like what?" Aleena asked suspiciously.

            "Oh, you don't want me telling you in front of all these people."

            "…I'm gonna kill him for blabbing in front of other people…"

            A very perturbed Hotaru cleared her throat.  "When are you able to take us?"

            "Now, if you want," Aquel replied.  "If you follow me down to the hanger, I'll introduce you to the _Shield Dodger,_ the best damn ship this temple has seen in a millennium."

End Notes: Now would be a good time to read Twinsabers: The Master if you haven't already.  That's Aquel's fic, and the newest chapter is sort of a companion piece to this one.  It's this chapter of Jedi Fellowship from Aquel's point of view…

Saturn: Did you like your little part at the end there?  I tried to get it as Aleena-ish as I could.  Did it work?


	4. The Trap

Chapter 4: The Trap

Notes: All right, three shameless plugs coming up.  First, go read Twinsabers!  You'll find a lot of this stuff more enjoyable if you get both sides of the story.  Also, go read One who Muses and Reincarnation, both Moulin Rouge fics that I need constructive criticisms on.  All right, on with the ficcy!

            Hotaru and Fae hit the ground running – literally.  The ominous buzzing of droid STAPs drew closer, drowning out the high whine of laser fire as the Shield Dodger blasted its escape rout clear.  Moments before, the two Jedi had braved a suicidal run through the Federation blockade in the little red ship, piloted by a slightly crazy Jedi master and her only slightly less crazy Padawan; now they faced a slew of battle druids gunning to kill them first and ask questions never.

            "I'm guessing those negotiations went over pretty badly," Fae noted over the din as she ignited her emerald-green saber.

            "Worse than we first suspected," Hotaru replied with grim humor as she switched on her own violet-hued blade.

            There was little room for banter as the STAPs closed in.  They flattened Naboo's plush long grass as they buzzed overhead, high-powered blaster cannons firing ceaselessly.  Even with their energy sabers turned up to full intensity, the two Jedi felt painful, jarring vibrations with each blaster shot they blocked.  The strange hovering contraptions were not only lethal, but speedy; there were enough of them to completely surround the two Jedi within moments.

            The pair would have most likely been completely overwhelmed if not for a little outside assistance.  One of the five STAPs exploded brilliantly as a high-energy beam from a hand-held blaster struck its front.  The other four momentarily turned, distracted, and that was Hotaru's cue to fling her lightsaber in a glittering arc, slicing two of the STAPs in half.  Then it was the work of only a moment for the two Jedi and their unknown aid to destroy the remaining two enemies.

            As the last spectacular explosion faded from view, the mysterious rescuer approached.  He was a man of medim build and unknown age – though his hair was stark white and his features were deeply lined, his eyes were sharp and clear and he had the posture of a youth.  He sat astride what looked like a shaved tauntaun.  "Hello," he called, waving his right had, still clutched around a heavy assault rifle.  "You looked like you needed some help!"

            "We're very grateful," Hotaru replied as she and Fae bowed respectfully.  

            "Lady Faemir told me you'd be coming, and that you needed safe passage into Theed."

            Fae eyed the man, searching for any hints of bad intentions, but she found none.  "Yes, we do."

            "Well, it's short notice – Faemir only told me a few minutes before I came to help you – but seeing as she's one of my best customers, I'll help you out."  He tilted his head to one side and smiled broadly.  "Besides, 'd like to see these damn Federation-types get what's coming to them.  They're bad for business!"

            "How are we going to get into Theed?" Hotaru asked.  "I'm sure they've set up scanners to detect unauthorized vehicles entering the city, and it'll take far too long to walk."

            "Aye, their scanners pick up mechanics even all the way out here!  However, we're gonna travel as fast as a speeder, straight into that city, and they won't even know it."          

            "How?"

            The man gave a great laugh and patted the neck of his mount.  "Why, we're gonna ride these beasts, of course!"  He put two fingers to his lips and gave a long, sharp whistle, and two more shaven tauntauns ran over the ridge.  Both were saddled and geared for travel.

            "I've never ridden before," Hotaru said nervously, eyeing the two snorting creatures.

            "It's easy," the man replied.  "Aquel gave me orders to set you two up on her most gentle animals.  I use these two boys for giving lessons to little kids, so you'll have no trouble commanding them."

            "Are they fast enough?" Fae asked skeptically.  "The ones I read abut on Hoth are pretty slow runners."

            "These are the short-haired variety, a breed that evolved on warm-climate planets," the man replied.  "They're much swifter than your long-hairs.  These two are also boys, which makes them a bit speedier than the females."

            "Well, if you say so," Hotaru sighed.  First a mad dash through a deadly blockade, and now a trail ride on a tauntaun… when would it end?  "We'd better get going then.  Are you coming along, Mr…"

            "Tayro," the man replied with a grin.  "Herson Tayro.  Of course I'm coming along.  I want a piece of the action, too!"  

            Tayro helped the two Jedi onto their mounts and the trio set off for the heavily-guarded capital city of Theed.  On the opposite side of the planet, two other Jedi and a gungan were heading directly for the same city…

~-~-~-

            Jennria Jadarian walked quietly into the senate chamber and stood just inside the doorway, listening intently.  She had pulled her drab brown hood over her black curls to better blend in with the surrounding stonework, effectively hiding herself from view. She watched two senators in particular with great intensity: the Naboo senator, Palpatine, and the Supreme Chancellor Valorum.  She sized each man up, preparing how best to go about her task…

            The time was not yet ripe for her to move on her instructions, but when that time came, Jenn knew she would be breaking the rules.  She wasn't at all hesitant or fearful – fear was not an emotion that came easily to the newly-made knight.  She just didn't want to get caught.  Perhaps the Jedi council would forgive her when she explained what she had been trying to accomplish, but the Senate certainly would not, and she would never get her job done.

            So the green-eyed knight watched and waited, like a hawkbat looking for the perfect opportunity to strike…

~-~-~-

The Seven were all assembled.  As Hotaru and Fae corssed the grassland expanses towards the city of Theed, Aquel piloted Malarow, Aleena, Obsessive, and Blade towards the desert planet of Tatooine.  Jennria was alone on Coruscant, setting into motion the political events that would have more of an impact on the galaxy than anything else that was yet to come.

            And sleeping in the cells of a lonely little slave boy and a young queen in distress were the genes that would eventually create the galaxy's salvation…


	5. Brolo, Droids, and a Very Ripe Fruit

            Aleena had been clubbing before numerous times in her somewhat dubious past, but never quite like this.  The dark, dank, smoke-filled Mos Espa cantina was vastly different from the neon-lit clubs on Coruscant's underworld, both in sight and smell.  It was darker here, more dangerous even, and the air was filled with the heavy, musky odor of the galaxy's myriad unwashed criminals and lowlifes.  Aleena was used to seeing the array of colors and designs of Coruscant's party-loving residents' clothing, but here it seemed that the beings couldn't care less what they looked like.  Thus it was fairly difficult to spot Aquel through the haze, clad as she was in simple brown and gray.

            "This is a nice place for strategizing," Aleena noted wryly as she sat down opposite Aquel.  She tried not to notice the reddish stains covering the rough, dirty table's circular surface.  More than one creature had met his or her end here, probably recently.  "How did you manage to find it?  It's so quaint."

            "Your sarcasm could melt the skin off a hutt," Aquel laughed.  The pale Jedi seemed overly relaxed for being in a den of thieves and killers; her arms were folded serenely behind her head, and she watched the crowd with lazy half-interest.  "This place happens to be a haven for those who don't wish to be found."

            "We don't want to be found?" Aleena asked.  "Are we hiding from someone?"

            "All sorts of rumors about Jedi Knights exist, even out here.  If we were to make ourselves obvious, it might be difficult to accomplish whatever business we need to finish.  Do you believe Watto would have bought that hyperdrive unit from you if he knew you were a Jedi?"

            It was true, Aleena conceded silently.  Secrecy might be the best policy in this situation.  "Thank you, by the way, for giving me that hyperdrive unit to sell.  I don't know where I would have gotten one."

            "They say everything happens for a reason," Aquel smiled.  "I almost sold that extra unit prior to our departure, but something told me I might need it.  Here I was, thinking my Seinar unit would be damaged, and in reality, I only needed to keep it to sell it way out here!"

            "Aren't Seinar units generally reserved for the black market?" Aleena asked suspiciously.

            "Of course," Aquel replied airily, unconcerned.  "They're the best units out there, after all.  My ship deserves only top-notch equipment."

            "What else do you have on that thing?"

            Aquel laughed again.  "If I told you, I would have to kill you.  As it is, you'd be wise not to breath a word of this to any authorities."

            "You're rather different for a Jedi," Aleena muttered.  "What would the Council do if they knew you were parking an illegal ship in their hanger?"

            "What would they do if they knew what you and Ben were up to?" Aquel countered.

            "Point taken," Aleena said sheepishly.  She turned her eyes toward the crowd to hide her embarrassment.  "So, where is Malarow?"

            "He just left," Aquel replied.  "He wanted me to see if I could get any information for him about some human boy."

            "So… why are we sitting here?"

            "We're waiting for one of my contacts."

            "Contacts??" Aleena asked, sounding almost horrified.  "What sort of contacts could a respected Jedi Knight have in a place like this?"

            "Not so loud," Aquel muttered.  "Do you want the entire planet to know we're here?"  She furtively scanned the crowd to see if anyone was watching.  "I need contacts on these planets to keep me informed.  It's always a good idea to have someone in the populace who can tell you what you need to know."

            "And dat's what yous need knowledge-brokers like me for," said a gravelly, rough voice from behind them.  Aleena nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound, and immediately whirled about to face the speaker.

            "Aleena, meet Brolo the Dug – my very underworld contact," Aquel grinned.

            "At yous service," Brolo said, clambering up to seat himself impertinently next to Aquel.  He was a fairly average Dug, a little shorter than most of his brethren, but still impressive.  Dugs are the sort of creatures that you don't want to mess with, regardless of size or gender.  Like most of his species he was very muscular, from his small little legs to his long, powerful arms and thick, sinewy hands that he used in place of feet.  He had a blunt, square muzzle and mean little eyes, and he had beaded the little strips of skin hanging down off his snout.  His black flight jacket was studded with small metal rings and rivets, along with a couple of tiny bones from late adversaries.

            "So, what yous want, eh?  You looking for a hot night?" Brolo asked, giving a sharp-fanged grin.

            Aleena looked absolutely horrified and edged back against the rough, dirty wall, but Aquel answered with perfect calm.  "You know I'm not that kind of customer, Brolo.  All I want is information."

            Brolo gave a harsh, throaty laugh.  "Ok, but yous tell me if you change your mind.  So, what information can I get yous, eh?"

            "Who's the favorite to win the Boonta Eve race?"

            The dug suddenly gave a loud, raucous laugh.  "Yous be payin' me for DAT info?  Here I thinkin' yous Jedi were smart!  Yous killin' me here!"

            Aquel reacted swiftly, maintaining the same aura of calm and confidence.  She whipped out her green saber and placed the energy beam at Brolo's bobbing, wattled throat, and spoke to him with a hint of steel in her voice.  "We really will kill you if you don't stop laughing and start talking."

            Brolo got the idea.  He sobered up, but continued grinning.  "I get yous point.  All right, I tell yous what you wantin' to know."

            The bar patrons disappointedly turned back to their tables as Aquel deactivated her emerald saber and resume her serene posture.  They had been expecting a nice, violent fight, but apparently this was one of those rare moments when words, not weapons, had solved a dispute.

            "So, yous wantin' to know the favorite.  He a good buddy of mine, a Dug by the name of Sebulba."

            "How can you guarantee that?"

            "Oh, yous be wantin' a guarantee," Brolo chuckled.  "He got lots of insurance, lots of illegal insurance."

            Aquel nodded and smiled.  "Thank you, Brolo.  You're as reliable as always."

            "Just doin' my job."

            "I still need one more piece of information from you, though."

            "Ah, dat may be a liddle hard.  My throat feelin' parched.  Hows about yous order us a drink?"

            Aleena scowled as Aquel signaled the bartender.  Why was she accommodating this slime?  The younger Jedi wanted to shove Brolo out of the booth with her foot.  Maybe that would clear the air a little.

            "Do you want anything?" Aquel asked as the bartender waddled over to their table.    

            "An absinthe, if they have it," Aleena replied.  Perhaps a dose of the highly hallucinogenic substance would relax her and help her to ignore the fact that this elder Jedi was behaving like a criminal drug-dealer.

            Brolo gave a small sigh of satisfaction when the drinks arrived.  He took his tall, blue glass in one gloved foot-hand and drank deeply.  "This good stuff.  All right, what else yous want to know?"

            "What can you tell me about the human boy named Anakin Skywalker?" Aquel asked, fixing Brolo with a piercing gaze. 

            "Ah, human boy… I know him.  It gonna cost you more, though," Brolo said, suddenly businesslike.

            'This should cover everything," Aquel answered, sliding a slip of paper with several numbers scrawled on it to his waiting foot-hand.

            "Yeah, this cover everything," Brolo grinned, slipping the paper into one of the studded pockets of his jacket.  "Lessee, Anakin.  There not much to tell, really.  He a slave boy for a Toydarian name Watto."

            "How old is he?  What does he look like?  I need more facts, Brolo."

            Brolo nodded.  "And I need to stay alive.  Right, he about eight or nine standard years old, blond, blue eyes.  He sort of short, and he race pods for Watto."

            "Who are his parents?"

            "His mother named Shmi Skywalker, and he have no father.  He a slave, not so important."  Brolo eyed Aquel suspiciously.  "Why you want to know all this?  Why a Jedi Knight want to know about a slave?"

            "My business is my own," Aquel said sharply.  Aleena sensed a hint of steel in her normally gentle voice, and realized that even if this older woman conversed with the scum of the galaxy, she was still a Jedi Knight.

            "Of course, I not mean to pry," Brolo said quickly.  "I leave yous Jedi to you work.  Thanks for the drink."  With that the dug got up from the table and left, skirting the crowds of creatures and heading for the bar.

            Once Brolo was safely out of earshot, Aleena let Aquel know exactly what she had been thinking during the whole exchange.  "What were you doing?" she exploded.  "Why did you pay that foul creature for telling us information that we could have easily gathered on our own??"

            "Brolo is a safe, reliable source," Aquel said calmly.  

            "Reliable, yeah right!  Did you hear what he asked us when he sat down?  A hot night??"

            "He was only joking.  I've been buying information from him for years."

            Aleena fumed silently.  She was stuck on a desert planet, light-years away from any sort of civilized society, with a crazy Jedi who talked to dirty-minded Dugs.  She had such foul luck.

            "You know, I think this mission is turning out rather well," Aquel smiled, leaning back against the wall.

            "Why do you think that?" Aleena asked suspiciously.  Maybe Aquel was a sith in disguise, and she was ready to kill the fellowship…

            "Qui-Gon's coming here," Aquel replied brightly.

~-~-~-

            Hotaru, Fae, and Tayro snuck towards Theed, silent and cautious.  STAPs buzzed overhead with frightening speed, scanning for any signs of mechanical opposition.  The three had left their Tauntauns behind a while ago, and now approached the city on foot, ducking beneath bushes whenever danger approached.  The droid invaders hadn't             yet swarmed over the city entirely; it would take a few more hours for them to organize, but by then Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon would be well inside.  Fae and Hotaru had a more difficult job.

            "I need to get into that palace before they take the Queen away," Fae whispered as the three crouched behind a pillar.

            "We'll have to act fast, then," Tayro muttered.  "We shouldn't meet too much opposition until we actually reach the palace.  It'll be easy to avoid the guards."

            "Let's be sure to destroy any that do see us," Hotaru cautioned.  "We don't want them to know we're coming."

            The three agreed to avoid as many confrontations as possible, and to eliminate any guards that did see them.  They crept further into the besieged city, swimming through clear pools of water and climbing over beautifully carved pillars and walls, always watchful.  The lightsabers of the two Jedi and the marksmanship of Tayro kept them adequately protected, and within minutes they came within view of the great Palace.  STAPs patrolled in thick swarms here, and tanks wheezed and rumbled along the narrow streets.  Battle droids marched beside the durasteel behemoths like ants, aiming their blasters at anything that moved.

            "This might be a little tricky," Tayro muttered as the three spied on the scene from a rooftop.  "There's no way we can sneak past all of that, and by the time they break up and move on, your Queen will be long gone."

            "We need a distraction," Hotaru whispered.  "You and I can get their attention, Tayro.  That'll leave a way clear for Fae to get into the palace."

            "What happens once she's in there?  The guards will be just as thick."

            "I can take care of myself," Fae smiled.  "There won't be tanks and STAPs inside the palace, and battle droids are notoriously weak."

            "Contact me if you need any help," Hotaru said.  "I'll be in this city for a while."

            "And I'll be off-planet, if all goes according to plans," Fae replied.

            "Ms. Hotaru, why don't we head for my sister's house?  She's ill, and my wife went this morning to see how she was doing.  You could use her house as safe lodgings for as long as you need."

            "You're very kind," Hotaru smiled.  "I don't know how we can ever repay you."

            "The fact that you're trying to get rid of this blockade is enough," Tayro replied.  "I sense something big coming, and you Jedi can only help our cause."

            "We'll do our best."

            "May the Force be with you," Fae said softly.

            "And with you," Hotaru replied.

            Without any further conversation, Hotaru and Tayro slipped from their hiding place and towards the massed Droid guards.  Fae waited, alert and watchful, looking for her chance to run across the courtyard and into the palace doors.  She got that chance moments later when a blaster bolt struck one of the tanks; the guards immediately turned towards the disturbance, blasters firing.  Nimble as a cat, Fae leapt from her hiding spot and dashed into the palace.

~-~-~-

            Blade and Obsessive were getting bored, and when two young Padawans get board, there's bound to be some sort of trouble ahead.  The two were lounging lazily in the cockpit of the _Shield Dodger,_ tossing a very ripe fruit between them with the Force.  They had been through all their meditation exercises already, and thus had nothing else to do.

            "They shouldn't have left us here," Blade said as she caught the fruit and took a bite out of it.  Juice from the fruit's less lucky predecessors clung to the bulkheads and floors.

            "I bet they're having all sorts of fun without us," Obsessive muttered darkly.  "They think we're too young to handle 'the dangers of Mos Espa'.  Hah, dangers!"

            "We were chosen to go on this mission, so they should know that we're competent enough to take care of ourselves."

            "Speaking of our mission, why don't we go see if we can start ours?" Obsessive said, chucking the dripping fruit out the window.  It landed with a satisfying 'splat', spattering juice and pulp all over the dusty ground.  Tiny Womp Rats came out of the woodwork to nibble at the remains, scrabbling and fighting amongst each other viciously.

            "What, you mean go spy on that Maul guy?" Blade asked, sitting up. 

            "Yeah, I bet he's here right now."

            "I sense some dark energies, too," Blade muttered.  "All right, let's go!"

            The two Padawans crept out of the _Shield Dodger_, heading towards the most dangerous Sith in a century without a care.

A/N: Sorry this took so long @.@ I got kicked off of fanfiction.net, plus all my files were deleted from my computer, so I had to start this whole thing over x.x Next chapter coming soon!  Same goes for 'Jedi Fellowship'.  Go read 'Can we share?  …no' and 'Come What May'!


	6. New Handmaiden?

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Notes: Saturn T. Riddle, the Mistress of Obi-Wan, wrote this chappy's first half. Go read her other stuff, _especially_ "Obi-Wan's Choice" and "To Meet Again". Those are must-reads for Kenobi addicts. Thank's Saturn, for writin' this! You rule! (cheers)

Malarow quietly crept throughout the small hut he was sharing with Aquel, Kal'Take and Aleena. He was trying to get out before they awoke so that he wouldn't be interrogated to death by Aleena. He took in a deep breath as he opened the door and snuck out, then shut it again. Letting out a sigh of relief, he looked up and watched as Tatooine's twin suns rose over the horizon.

Just as he turned to head for the center of Mos Espa, he heard two voices conversing behind him.

"I know you're worried Ben, but I'm sure he'll take care of everything," the female voice exclaimed.

"But he's being sidetracked again!" the other, a male, replied. "There's some boy that he thinks is the bloody Chosen One waltzing around. He's putting everything on the line just because he thinks that this-"

"I know, I know. He thinks this is the only chance you all have to get off this hellhole and- hi Malarow!"

Aleena stopped walking, shut off her comlink, shoved it in her pocket and shrugged innocently. "What are you doing up this early?" she asked.

"Apparently not the same thing as you." Malarow replied sarcastically. "I was trying to get an early start without waking anyone."

"Oh! You wouldn't be looking for Anakin Skywalker by any chance, would you?" she asked, suddenly interested.

"Maybe." he replied dryly.

"Good! Then I shall come with!"

Malarow rolled his eyes. "Great... let's go then."

"Okay!" she replied, starting off. She suddenly stopped and turned. "Hold on a second." She ran off for a moment then returned. "I had to take care of something."

Malarow raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. Ben, right?"

"Let's go." She said, completely ignoring him.

Blade and Obsessive silently strolled through the endless sea of sand, whispering excitedly to each other. The two incredibly excited Padawans were about as full of energy as a rancor was when being fed a live meal.

Though bursting with energy, the two made sure to keep themselves hidden from any Force-sensitives in the area. Specifically, a certain Sith lord that they were sneaking out to spy on and study.

"Where are we even going?" Obsessive complained, kicking some sand around.

"Relax," Blade replied. "We'll be there soon. I have it all under control."

Obsessive groaned. "Oh that makes me feel so much better," she replied cynically. "Let me guess. You have no idea where we are, where we're going or when we'll get there?"

"I know what I'm doing!" Blade shot back defensively.

Obsessive glared at her. "We're lost, aren't we?"

Blade turned and shrugged. "We're not lost! We're just directionally challenged."

Obsessive groaned again. "Oh my God!!"

Blade stopped walking suddenly. Obsessive, who hadn't, kept walking and ran into Blade, knocking both of them to the ground.

"Ow!" Obsessive cried.

"Shh!" Blade whispered. "Look!"

Obsessive looked up and gasped. Blade grinned.

"I told you we weren't lost."

They looked at each other and back ahead.

Ahead of them was a Sith Infiltrator Ship, parked in the middle of the sand. A figure in dark clothing was standing outside the craft peering through a pair of binoculars.

(A/N: And this is where my crappy writing beings ^^)

"That's him!" Blade hissed.

"Oh, thanks," Obsessive snorted. "I really couldn't tell."

"D'you think he knows we're here?"

"He'd better not, or we're screwed." Obsessive glanced at Blade. "How long do you need to look at him?"

"Just let me get his mental signature, and we can go," Blade muttered back, peeking over the top of the sand dune they were huddled behind. Suddenly the black figure turned, fixing the dune with a malevolent glare. Blade gasped and held her body motionless, all mental defensive shields at the full. Obsessive heard her sharp intake of breath and stiffened as well, heart pounding like a trapped animal's. The Sith took a step forward, sure to see them, and when he did he would surely kill them…

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a blur of gray and brown leaped over the dune, twin sabers flashing in the dim light. Blade instantly recognized Aquel's Padawan, Kal'Take, and allowed herself a tight sigh of relief. She watched in awe as the young Knight-in-training engaged the Sith Lord in a fierce saber duel, red and white and black mingling as the glowing blades clashed and sparked against one another. 

"Go! Run!" Kal shouted, throwing a desperate look at Blade and Obsessive. The two Padawans needed no further bidding. They took off like a pair of started womp rats, leaving the fierce contest behind them.

Fae could hear her own heart beating, and for a moment worried that it might alert the Droid sentries to her precarious position. She was huddled on the narrow ledge of the kitchen chimney, fingers clutching at the smoke-dusted stones. She had climbed through the sewer system until she found the kitchen deep in the bowels of the palace. Intuitively she realized that the oven's chimney had to lead somewhere, and so she climbed up. Luckily for her, it had both ledges and a handy exit into the palace. Only hours later another Jedi would climb up that same rout, but he would face much more opposition…

Droids clattered by noisily on patrol, and Fae waited for the footsteps to die away. Once the silence returned she leaped up out of the airshaft, pulling up with her fingers and springing as agilely as a feline up onto the intricately tiled fireplace. She found herself standing in a deserted circular room, presumably a dining hall. The door to her left was open, and she dashed towards it before it could close and trap her in the room. Using the Force skill of hiding she made herself invisible to her opponents, and she swiftly covered the few floors up to the Queen's chamber. Guilty at destroying such lovely ironwork, she carved a hole in the chamber doors, ignoring the frightened gasps coming from it. Once she had melted a space large enough to fit through, she climbed in and stood up, brushing herself off.

"I'm terribly sorry for the abrupt entrance, m'lady," she said, bowing low to the started Queen of the Naboo. "I am Jedi Knight Fae, and I'm here on a mission to defend you."

"Who sent you?" the Queen asked, eyeing the other woman with suspicion.

"No one, actually," Fae shrugged. "It's a long story, one best saved for safer times. As it is, I'm going to need one of your handmaiden's extra robes." She quirked a smile. "Hopefully the Nemoidians weren't too careful in counting your attendants."

****

A/N: Well, there ya have it, there it is, the newest chappy. If any of the authors involved would like to take a turn writing up a bit of the chapter, feel free! E-mail me if you're interested. Remember, praise Saturn! She wrote the first half ^^


	7. Trouble

****

Notes: I realized I madea bit of an error regarding the timeline for this fic… ^^; eheheh… Qui and Obi can't exactly be in two places at once, can they? So for now, until this gets fixed, the timeline will shift just a bit to accommodate Fae's story. Sorry about that!

The second part of this chapter was written by the talented biblehermione. Give her a hand! And go read her stuff!

"Take them to camp four."

"Roger, roger."

A pair of menacing droid guards jabbed the Queen in the back with their blasters, and Fae seethed mentally. How dare they treat royalty like this? It was terrible. The young Jedi longed to pull out her lightsaber and teach these metalheads a lesson… but that would accomplish little. Likely she would be killed or captured, and then what help would she be to the Queen? So she strode in silence, glaring daggers at the uncaring droids.

The entourage was ungraciously hustled out of the building and down a long, broad avenue. Fae allowed herself a moment to admire Naboo's beautiful architecture: the gracefully curving archways, intricately-carved stonework, lush greenery, and constant gurgle of water made Theed one of the galaxy's tourist hot-spots. The place seemed totally untouched by the gaudy tourism industry, though, and retained its sense of nobility and aristocracy. Now, though, black marks scored the stones of the buildings and red streaks peppered the avenue…

Fae was pulled out of her musings by sudden activity at the front of the patrol. A pair of brown somethings had dropped gracefully to the paved street, energy sabers blazing. In an instant Fae recognized them as Jedi Knights, and she almost lit her own saber to help them, but decided that perhaps she should maintain a low profile. Instead she blocked the Queen with her own body, shielding her from stray blaster fire. In moments the confrontation was over, and the two Jedi were hustling them to a more protected sidestreet.

Fae followed like any dutiful handmaiden, refusing to let her guise down even for these two Jedi. Besides, something had caught her attention during the struggle. She'd covered who she thought was the Queen, but somehow the Queen's mental signature was coming from elsewhere…

~-~-Several Days Later, on Tatooine…~-~-~-

(A/N: And here's where the fic gets good, mainly 'cos biblehermione wrote it ^^)

Malarow walked through the crowded town of Mos Espa. He couldn't believe that any place in the universe could be so infested with the scum he saw. Yet, he pitied most of the poor creatures... It barely seemed that they were here by choice. It was more like they were all imprisoned here. Beside him, Aleena was thinking the exact same thing.  
  
"You know, it's amazing that we are thinking alike for once, Aleena," Malarow smiled.  
  
"Keep out of my mind," Aleena snapped back.  
  
"Yes, ma'am!" Malarow mock saluted her. Aleena rolled her eyes at him and muttered about what an "immature creepazoid" he was. (A/N I know she would have a much better insult, but I am just such a bad insulter.... *sniffle*)  
  
Malarow's head turned towards a small store down the crowded street. Something seemed to be drawing him towards it. Aleena followed his eyes to it. She looked up to him with a questioning look.  
  
"Do you think he's in that place?" Malarow looked to her.  
  
"Yes. It bares a slight resemblance to the place Be- I mean Obi-Wan described."  
  
"Go ahead and call him the pet name around me. I won't tell," Malarow winked and stepped towards the store. Aleena glared after him and motioned to follow him, but before she could her body hit the sandy ground with a thud.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Do you think it was really that smart to leave her to take on tattoo-boy all by herself?" Obsessive asked/breathed as she and Blade ran across the sand.  
  
"I'm sure she can take him!" Blade replied. She tripped on something and landed flat on her face, taking in a mouthful of sand upon impact. Obsessive backtracked and helped Blade to her feet. Blade's eyes drifted to where she had landed and saw that she had tripped on a skeleton. It resembled a Twi'Lek.   
  
"Ew!" Obsessive screeched. She took off again, Blade followed. The two spied Mos Espa up ahead and scrambled into the city limits. They weren't looking where they were going and ran into two familiar figures, knocking them to the ground...  
  
"Blade! Obsessive! What are you doing here?!" Aleena practically growled.  
  
"Maul.... Blades.... Fight..." Obsessive stuttered.  
  
"Oh sure, tell her what happened!" Blade rolled her eyes. Obsessive stuck her tongue out at the fellow padawan. Malarow put his head in his hands as if he had a terrible headache.  
  
"You two get your stupid danger-loving selves back into the _Shield Dodger_ right now!" Aleena roared, yes, roared.   
  
Obsessive and Blade stood up. "Yes, ma'am," they squeaked in unison before turning towards the endless sand sea again.  
  
~-~-~-  
Hotaru's violet blade cut through four battle droids at once. Silly things, she thought, If only they had minds they may be able to take me on. Her blade cut through a ring of them as she twirled on her toes like a ballerina. They seemed to be multiplying every second. Now they were trying to take her on by encircling her to no avail.  
  
Tayro was taking a different approach. He shot the droids at random with his blaster, going across the guards and knocking them down one by one.   
  
Finally, the two were alone with only the motionless, smoking shells of the battle droids. Hotaru brushed a bit of her black hair from her face and realized her ponytail had come undone. Without it, her hair reached her knees. She searched frantically for the purple ribbon and found it around the "neck" of a smoking droid.  
  
Tayro laughed to himself, "Obsessive with your hair, huh?"  
  
Hotaru rolled her eyes and tied her hair up, "You know that is the name of a padawan I know?"  
  
Tayro looked at her confused, "Hair?"  
  
Hotaru shook her head, "No. Obsessive. Interesting kid, I'll tell you..."  
  
"Ah. Well, we might as well get a move on," Tayro began walking towards his sister's house, Hotaru followed.  
  
When they reached the home, they found that it was empty. The front door was wide open and the home looked as if it had been ransacked. Tayro became frantic. He rushed through the rooms, calling for his wife and sister. Hotaru's eyes scanned the quarters. In the floor of what appeared to be the kitchen lay a smoking droid blaster...  


****

A/N: What happened to Tayro's wife and sister? Are Blade and Obsessive going to get themselves in trouble again? How goes the senate and Jenria's mission? All that and more in the next installment of _Jedi Fellowship_! If ya wanna contribute part of a chappy, you still can! Just e-mail me! ^^


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